New API combines multiple budget AI models to rival Anthropic’s suspended Fable 5, offering comparable performance for 50% less.
OpenRouter launched Fusion, an API that merges responses from multiple AI models to deliver performance within 1% of Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5 at roughly half the price. The system uses a judge and synthesizer to refine outputs from a panel of models, including web search and tool integration.
The product arrives as U.S. export controls forced Anthropic to suspend Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for foreign users, citing a disputed jailbreak finding. OpenRouter’s benchmark tests on Perplexity’s DRACO metric showed its budget panel nearly matching Fable 5’s accuracy.
OpenRouter positioned Fusion as a cost-effective alternative, emphasizing its ability to replicate high-end AI capabilities without premium pricing. The launch follows Anthropic’s abrupt model suspension, creating a gap in the market.